September 10, 2016

We did one more practice session today before Fall Opening Day scheduled for September 13.  More birds today and hopefully more to come.  Today we banded 6 new birds:  2 Northern Cardinals, 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and 2 Ovenbirds.  We caught two others that went unbanded; an Ovenbird that we had banded last week and another cardinal that had leg issues that we did not want to put a band around. Typically this leg condition is due to mites but this bird seemed fairly clean of them.

We were greeted by the calls of an Eastern Screech-Owl this morning as we put up the nets.  Always a treat.

The Northern Cardinals were all youngsters born this summer.  There was a span of development that was nice to see so they were likely not siblings.

young Northern Cardinals

The bills of these two youngsters show different progression with the one on the left still having a dark beak of a hatchling and the one on the right progressing to a more adult looking bill.  The third cardinal that we did not band was almost entirely in "grown-up" plumage and had an almost all orange bill.  

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

We rarely catch a gnatcatcher and today we caught two.  What a little bird!  With weights of 5 and 6 grams, these are the smallest birds we get.  Though a few breed here, it is nice to have higher numbers around and to hear their wheezy call notes.  Both were adult birds.

Both of the Ovenbirds were born this nesting season.  

Migrants on the property included at least two American Redstarts, a Worm-eating Warbler, and a Red-eyed Vireo.  The variety should keep improving.  

Next banding is Fall Opening Day; weather permitting (no hard rain).  Net go up at 6:30.